April 22nd, 2020

​On March 23rd we returned to the USVIs to avoid the expiration of our visas for the BVIs. While we got to see and do a good number of things in the British Virgin Islands, we also missed a lot of the more famous things on the list. One of which would be the Baths.
The Baths are by far the most popular destination and something we were planning to see before COVID-19 broke out. The Baths are a cave-like structure with an entrance to the ocean. The Baths are, of course, like baths. The flat surface is supposed to be great for swimming, especially with so little people in the area.
However, we left the BVIs in favor of Watermelon Bay, St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Recognize that name? This is the island my mom and I visited while we were on SV Kuma Too. We were almost at the exact same mooring ball as before. This was the place with a sugar mill only a short walk away which we, of course, hiked again.
This was my dad’s first time in this area. Therefore, the first thing he wanted to do was check out the island. So, the first day was spent discovering ruins. I had to opt out in favor of school, but they were able to explore a second trail that led to another set of ruins. My mom and I knew about this before, but with only a few hours we never had the chance to see it. I still haven’t had the chance to see it.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a “hiker”. I love the views and the animals, but the actual action of walking almost a mile to and from, no thanks. So, I was not in the happiest of moods when I was tugged off the boat to walk back to the sugar mill.
This area is great, but I was desperate to move on. The Wi-Fi was spotty and the hikes were repetitive. My pleas were answered! The following day was spent at sea to a second mooring field in Francis Bay.
A couple days after arriving in this spot, we spent the day at the beach. Only now am I realizing how long it has been since we have had a beach day. We brought our cabana, towels, games, books, drinks, and food. We were set. It has been almost a month since that day, but I still recall how I spent most of it reading. Am I a nerd? Most definitely.
I even remember the book I was currently reading: The Cruel Prince. A story revolving the protagonist, Jude, who lives in faerie land. No, that is not sarcasm, that is the world name. In this world there are fae and her foster dad is the general for the king. She wants to be a knight but she is mortal. In a land of magic that is a huge drawback. She faces off against a cruel prince named Cardan who she eventually conspires with to protect the world from her father. The book is followed by two others which I finished in the days following.
At the beach, there was a lemon shark skimming the surface and followed anyone in its vicinity like a lost puppy. It. Was. Adorable. By the time I joined my parents in the water, the shark was long gone. Though if he were still in the water, I probably would not have gotten in.
After destroying my dad at our beach games (I do not know the accuracy of that statement, it has been almost a month) we returned to the boat. At this point, I had been promising to bake my dad brownies for a couple days so I finally lived up to that promise. They were gone by the next day.
Moving to this bay brought news of another thing. Kids! My mom had been in contact with parents through different cruising communities for a while and she finally found someone I could meet. Tanner, a thirteen-year-old boy, who lives on the boat SV Dorothy Rose. I would be meeting him the next day.

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